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Although Toledo's water crisis brought international attention to a serious Lake Erie issue, it could also negatively affect tourism. Officials want the public to know Lake Erie is still open for business and much of it is not covered with toxic algae.

That's a bonus for people like Ottawa County Sanitary Engineer Kelly Frey, who has been asking for months for help, research and guidance for testing and treating drinking water for the toxin the algae produces.

But it also has a downside.

Fears of toxic green slime could keep people from visiting the Lake Erie coast, a large portion of which is not affected by harmful algal blooms, said state Sen. Randy Gardner, R-Bowling Green.

"At least today, toxic algae is not blanketing the entire Lake Erie Western Basin," he said. "Perhaps the whole country might get the idea that this is not a good place to go or a safe place to go, and that's not true.

"As far as I'm concerned, Lake Erie is still the place to be."

The harmful blue-green algae can produce microcystin, a nerve toxin that can cause liver problems and gastrointestinal illness.

Over the weekend, the Ottawa County Visitors Bureau received three calls from people concerned about whether they would have safe drinking water if they visited the area, bureau executive director Larry Fletcher said. The Put-in-Bay Chamber of Commerce also received similar calls, he said.

To combat the concern, the visitors bureau uses its social media accounts to keep people updated and continues to promote the area's attractions, Fletcher said. It also works with local businesses and residents to educate them about the algae, the toxin and how wind, waves and storms affect where algae goes on the lake.

"We try to educate people as much as possible so they have all the facts about what this is," Fletcher said. "That can keep people from making generalizations and making incorrect assumptions."

Locally, the toxin has not affected drinking water or state park beaches in Ottawa County or the Port Clinton city beach this year, officials said. East Harbor State Park and the city beach had plenty of swimmers on Sunday.

"By no means is the lake closed for business," said Mark Bruce, Ohio Department of Natural Resources spokesman. "It's still safe to boat on Lake Erie. You can still eat the fish from Lake Erie."

When a harmful algal bloom is spotted, ODNR tests the water at the beaches. If the level of microcystin exceeds 6 parts per billion, the park posts an orange advisory sign that recommends the elderly, young children and anyone with a compromised immune system not swim.

"We are not in the business of closing beaches," Bruce said. "The ultimate decision is up to the guest if they want to swim."

White signs explaining what harmful algal blooms look like have been posted at East Harbor and other state park beaches along Lake Erie. These are educational signs and do not mean the beach is under an advisory, he said.

Once a beach is under an advisory, it must have two weeks of tests where the microcystin level is below 6 parts per billion before the advisory can be lifted, Bruce said.

"Lake Erie is a dynamic body of water," he said. "Winds are a big factor on Lake Erie. If the wind shifts, it can move that algae away."

Although a bloom might dissipate, the toxin could still be in the water, requiring the continued testing before lifting an advisory. The algae releases the toxin when it dies.